The very first time I listened to a podcast was five years ago. I was browsing through iTunes, looking up wrestling terms, and CM Punk popped up in the search results. But attached to CM Punk’s name was The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana. Curious, I clicked on it and saw a picture of Colt Cabana in a Ring of Honor black tee in front of a library background. [click here] So I clicked play expecting the traditional 30 second clip as it was customary with every song on iTunes. But much to my surprise, it continued well past the 30 second mark and went on for about an hour of audio. After listening to Punk, and remember, this was way before the infamous pipe-bomb, I wanted more. So I went back to the first episode (Punk’s was episode 2) and I listened to SonjayDutt. And before I knew it, I was subscribed and have listened to every episode since.

That was my first introduction into the now over-saturated world of pro wrestling podcasts. Colt’s was the first of its kind and still hold it with high regard. Listening to Punk before he became a megastar; to Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno), Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards while they still wrestled for Ring of Honor; to Samoa Joe while he was wrestling for TNA; to Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) before being signed to WWE; to Sara Del Rey before she became the trainer for the women wrestlers over at the WWE Performance Center; and to Kevin Steen, listening to his insecurities about the wrestling business long before signing with WWE as Kevin Owens.

Colt Cabana always states at the intro that the Art of Wrestling Podcast is a life podcast, a personal journey into the hearts and souls of these wrestlers. Basically these stories have entertained me and made me feel a close bond with my favorite wrestlers. It has also helped me get to know new wrestlers that I wasn’t familiar with. Then I go back and think, where have I heard of this guy before? And after 5 years and counting, the answer is most likely from the Art of Wrestling Podcast.

One of my goals as a wrestling fan is to travel to Glasgow or Edinburg and attend a live Art of Wrestling Podcast among the Scotts. If you ever take the time to listen to the live shows, it sounds like so much fun and definitely an experience worth having.

But among my love of AOW, I have ventured out and accepted other podcasts. Some I’ve dropped, and others I continue to be faithful. ::Glass Shatters:: When I heard that Stone Cold Steve “Mutha F%@$” Austin was starting up his own can of audio whoopass known as The Steve Austin Show, how could you say no to the Rattlesnake? That’s not to say that there haven’t been some episodes that were chicken sh-t that he tried making into chicken salad, but sometimes it is what it is. I’ve loved his recent interviews with Razor Ramon, Diamond Dallas Page, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. I’ve also loved his series of episodes talking to Paul Heyman. And let’s not forget that his success on PodcastOne.com and his legendary status in WWE also launched the very first live video podcast on the WWE Network, with the first guest being none other than Vince McMahon. He’s gone on to have his WWE special with Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, Edge & Christian, and soon enough… Brock Lesnar.

I always get a kick out of those live Stone Cold Podcast episodes, but another wrestler turned podcaster who I thoroughly enjoy is Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho. What I love about TIJ is that Jericho is a natural entertainer and it translates beautifully on audio. Plus, he–like Colt–goes out of his way to have sit-down interviews with his guests. And it’s not just wrestling guests, it’s music guests, conspiracy and paranormal theorists, TV actors, movie directors, porn stars! (By the way, Stormy Daniels… awesome!) The list goes on and on with the diversity of the guests he has on his show. Talk is Jericho is not just another wrestling podcast, it’s an entertainment podcast diving into all walks of entertainment.

Those are my top three wrestling podcasts that I listen to religiously. But I do often lend an ear to The Ross Report with Jim Ross and WOOOOO! Nation with “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair for the sole reason that I respect the hell out of those two. I would listen to every episode, but I only have so many hours in a day. But give those guys a listen as well, great stuff.

And if by chance you don’t know how to listen to these great podcasts, subscribe and download them off iTunes if you have an iPhone, or if you are like me and have sided with the force known as Samsung Galaxy, the Podcast Addict app has been awesome with all episodes streaming seamlessly.

How about you? Which podcast do you love listening to? And it doesn’t have to be a podcast about wrestling. Just share your likes and dislikes in the comment section below!

Or if you just want to hit me up, you can do so on the twitter @WrestlingTimesX or follow my interests and journey to a healthier fit lifestyle on my instagram @losfriday!

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Kevin Owens refused to sign the contract unless if it was for the NXT Championship, claiming that he didn’t care about fighting Sami Zayn, all he cared about was the championship. The champion demanded from NXT General Manager William Regal to make his match with Owens at NXT Takeover RIVAL a championship match because he knows Owens, he’s known him for twelve years, and knows that he wouldn’t do it for anything less. As hard of a concept it may be to grasp for some WWE fans, there is wrestling outside McMahon’s Magical Kingdom.

As early as Kevin’s Combat Zone Wrestling debut match back in 2004, he encountered Sami Zayn, who was known at the time as El Generico–the Olé chants make sense now, don’t they? The two teamed briefly for a while before moving over towards Pro Wrestling Guerilla where they soon became two-time PWG World Tag Team champions.

Then their budding rivalry came to an all time high when venturing over to Ring of Honor Wrestling. As a team, Kevin and Generico became the ROH World Tag Team champions, but after losing the titles and enduring a series of unsuccessful attempts at regaining the gold, Kevin turned on Generico a la Michaels and Jannetty.

Owens’ actions sparked one of the most violent feuds in Ring of Honor history. He bloodied Generico with steel chairs, steel chains and ladders. He even unmasked Generico at the conclusion of one match, and would soon wear the mask on his hand and talk to it, place it on a steel chair–same chair he would use on Generico–to cut a promo on it. Sometimes he would just wear the mask in the ring to get a rise out of Generico.

The feud culminated in an unsanctioned Fight Without Honor match following the main event at Final Battle 2010 at the Manhattan Center, where Kevin put his ROH career on the line against Generico’s mask. Kevin lost the match and was ousted out of Ring of Honor for a long time.

Now fast forward to NXT Takeover R-Evolution, Kevin Owens power bombing Sami Zayn against the ring apron might have been unexpected to WWE fans, but for the wrestling fans who have followed their independent careers knew it was only a matter of time.

Although this 12-year feud has WrestleMania potential written all over it, I couldn’t imagine seeing this match anywhere else than on a NXT live special where these two will be given ample time to tell their story in the ring.

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About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Unlike the Bound for Glory Series, the TNA World Heavyweight Title Tournament is governed by The Wheel of Dixie.

The TNA World title Tournament, much to the chagrin of TNA President Dixie Carter, will not crown a new World champion. In the coming weeks as the Wheel of Dixie spins, and the hand picked competitors clash for the right to be called the TNA World champion, there will still be one “phenomenal” problem.

As Samoa Joe alluded to on IMPACT Wrestling, the tournament was created to compensate for Dixie’s lack of business acumen to offer AJ Styles a better deal. Joe also made a promise that when he becomes the new World champion, he will defend it against a champion who never lost the title.

Dixie Carter can pretend that this tournament will solve her “red kneck” problem, but it’s only going to create controversy on the night the tourney concludes. Take it from WWE who incurred the same debacle when CM Punk skipped town with the WWE championship, and Vince McMahon concocted a one-night tournament to crown a new champion. The result? A returning CM Punk raising hell and placed in an undisputed championship match against the copy-champion.

Whether it’s at Final Resolution or Genesis, history will repeat itself with AJ Styles raising hell and challenging the copy-champion. Don’t believe it? Watch those “Sponsored by the friends of AJ Styles” videos. The man is determined to make Dixie Carter pay.

Since skipping town, consider what AJ Styles has been accomplishing outside of TNA: He’s been defending his TNA title in Mexico–most notably AAA who TNA has a working relationship with–and Japan, which reinforces the “World” in terms of the prestige of the TNA World Heavyweight championship. Styles is taking the “Rogue Champion’s” angle further than CM Punk ever did, and for that kudos to “The Phenomenal One”.

In different circumstances, this title Tournament would be interesting, but not only did Ring of Honor just have a 16-man World title tournament that culminated at Death Before Dishonor XI, but TNA just finished having the Bound for Glory Series tournament. One championship tournament after another is not exactly compelling television.

Although, the Wheel of Dixie has yielded some exciting pay-per-view caliber matches. Jeff Hardy, who advanced to the semi-finals, took on the X Division champion Chris Sabin in an extreme Full Metal Mayhem match. Imagine, it has been 16 years since Hardy made his wrestling debut, and here he is today still competing at full speed.

As for the second match, who wouldn’t pay money to see Kurt Angle and Austin Aries wrestle? As for their match, the Wheel of Dixie called for a Submission match. Now, Kurt Angle has won many championships with his ankle lock submission and his ankle lock submission 2 – ankle lock followed by a grapevine lock. And Aries has the Last Chancery, an awesome submission hold that cuts off the circulation of oxygen by tightly cinching in the neck and arm.

As much as everyone would have loved Austin Aries to win, Angle’s determination to have a Hall of Fame worthy career and his competitive drive against Bobby Roode (check out Bobby Roode vs Kurt Angle: The Defining Feud) gave the edge to the Olympic Gold Medalist.

Who will advance as James Storm takes on Bobby Roode in a Bull Rope match, and Samoa Joe against Magnus in a Falls Count Anywhere match?

Answer the Question: Will Dixie’s TNA World Title Tournament conclude in a new World Champion or Will AJ Styles return as the rightful TNA World Heavyweight Champion?

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In recent years, TNA Wrestling treaded a thin line in terms of keeping its promotion alive. With radical spending, irrational storylines, sporadic character turns, and meaningless title changes, TNA Wrestling was creating the same mistakes as WCW did in its final years. Then something happened, the spending slowed down, the storylines became more coherent, the characters haven’t turned as much, the championships are being defended with longer title reigns (including three record-breaking reigns), and, most importantly, TNA has a roster filled with some of the best talents in the world.

On top of that, TNA Wrestling have attempted a few fan interaction concepts, made the decision to go live for the duration of the summer, and even announced a Hall of Fame (ceremony to take place at Bound for Glory). Right now TNA Wrestling is in a great state to reach new heights, which is great for the wrestlers involved and the wrestling fans that choose to support it through the good times and bad.

Congrats to TNA Wrestling on making 10 years.

Now here’s a couple of notes from Sunday’s Slammiversary:

Hulk Hogan devised a dream match between X Division champion Austin Aries and Samoa Joe to kick off Slammiversary. He also did the fans one better by bending the X Division weight limit rule; a sign of respect based on Samoa Joe’s past history as X Division champion. Which was nice, but the title didn’t have to be on the line because Aries and Joe–two ROH Legends–was all the fans needed to be invested.

While Samoa Joe has been away from the main event picture for the last couple of years, THIS match showcased what experts had once proclaimed that Joe would revolutionize the wrestling business. After defending his title in a classic match, Austin Aries stated in a backstage interview that it’s time that he main events. A word of advice to TNA Entertainment higher-ups, it’s time for both Aries and Joe to main event TNA Wrestling.

For over 470 days, Crimson had been undefeated in singles competition. Wrestling fans mockingly compared him to Goldberg in regards to the unbeaten streak. Goldberg was infamous in WCW for his streak but Crimson surpassed it. Then again, you have to consider the caliber of competition that the two men faced. Let’s face it, there is only one Goldberg (And no, he’s not currently wrestling under the name Ryback).

470+ days is only but a faint memory now as James Storm returned to prove a point: to prove to himself and the wrestling fans that he still has that fire within him to compete at a main event level.

In a future post entitled “Faded Glory” TBA, the WWE Alumni of Impact Wrestling will be seen in a slight cynical light. But at Slammiversary, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, and the new number one contender Mr. Anderson proved that they can deliver a show stealing match anywhere on the wrestling card.

Then the shocker of the night (at least for me) was seeing the Instant Classic Christian Cage (still under contract with WWE, and still Intercontinental champion) make a special appearance. The IMPACT fans voted Christian crossing the line over to TNA as one of the Top 10 moments in TNA history, and Christian was asked to introduce the number 1 moment. Christian’s return may have been for one of two reasons: (the obvious one) WWE was returning the favor for TNA allowing Ric Flair to appear at its Hall of Fame ceremony; or WWE was trying to appease TNA on their recent lawsuit. Either way, it’s the wrestling fans that come out winning.

While Chikara Pro decided to introduce a World title belt at its 10 year anniversary, TNA Wrestling announced its first inductee to the TNA Hall of Fame. Dixie Carter announced Sting as the first inductee, very well deserved. Although Sting humbly wrote on Twitter (prior to Slammiversary) that he would not want to be the first inductee, Hulk Hogan said it best, he doesn’t know how good he actually is.

Having the hometown advantage hasn’t always meant success (just ask James Storm), but for Brooke Tessmacher, she made every second count and became the new Knockouts champion. Along with the TNA Heavyweight and X Division champions, Gail Kim set the record for the longest Knockouts championship reign.

If there was one word to describe the TNA World Tag Team match… it would be phenomenal. AJ Styles was thrown into a nightmare of controversy involving a possible relation with Dixie Carter. Kazarian and Christopher Daniels, who have proven to work well as a cohesive team, kept trying to get the psychological advantage, but what they were not counting on was the repercussions of interfering in Kurt Angle’s matches.

From Kurt Angle almost breaking the tag champions backs in half with a ruthless series of German suplexes, to Styles’ holy sh*t moonsault off the top rope to land on Daniels on the concrete, this match was one for the history books. So while Aries and Joe was a dream match, Kurt Angle and AJ Styles are the Dream Team, and new Tag Team champions.

Then of course Bobby Roode retained the TNA Heavyweight championship through nefarious means. Stinger could have made June 10, 2012 the greatest night of his life but instead he settled for some much-needed vendetta as he suplexed Roode on the ramp and dropped him off the stage with the Scorpion Death Drop. Very insane of The Icon, but again, Roode deserves everything he gets.

Side note: Was that the first time that the announcer’s booth was utilized for a match?

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Kevin Steen, who got his job back at Final Battle after a year hiatus, calls himself the Anti-Christ of Professional Wrestling. Not to be confused with Jeff Hardy’s Immortal gimmick because Steen wants real change. Kevin was kept out of Ring of Honor because he refused to be a gutless[explicit] for Executive Producer Jim Cornette.

Kevin Steen’s opponent at Ring of Honor’s 10th Anniversary Show is Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs returned to Ring of Honor after two-years as Steve Corino’s sponsor. Corino and Jacobs’ mission was to keep Kevin Steen out of ROH, and prove to Cornette that they were changed men. However, Jacobs had the misfortune as the referee of Corino vs Steen, to count Corino’s shoulders against the mat, and thus reinstating Kevin Steen back to Ring of Honor.

In the latest Video Wire, Kevin Steen mentioned that he once considered Jacobs a friend, on a list of friends that isn’t long by any means. But Steen questions what happened to the Jacobs he knew. The blood drinking, spike stabbing maniac from two years ago. The new Jacobs is nothing more than a gutless[explicit] afraid to lose his job. When Kevin Steen looks in the mirror he’s happy that he didn’t conform, but that Jacobs must hate himself everyday.

At ROH’s 10th Anniversary Show, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC, Kevin Steen promises that blood will be spilt, but he also suggest that March 4th will be the beginning of a revolution. Kevin Steen wants real change, and that begins with himself, Jacobs and Corino tearing down the Jim Cornette Ring of Honor, to rebuild the old Ring of Honor in their image.

That’s it for this post, feel free to check us out on YouTube – WTX Video Podcast. My buddies and I perform a wrestling video podcast where we talk wrestling, which then leads into crazy comedy sketches. Support us on YouTube, like us on Facebook, and follow me on the twitter @WrestlingTimesX.